This little sketch appeared at the Oomph cafe on Liverpool Street in Hobart yesterday. He’s not anything startling in the art world, but in some ways he marks some new beginnings for me. I’ve been thinking a lot about what I want to do with my Same Dog stuff, where I want to take it, what I want to do with it. When you’re not officially part of what is a huge industry, it can be hard sometimes to know your place in it all, and to know how to forge your way. But as I walked up the street the other day I decided that I just wanted to achieve one goal before anything else – I want to become a better artist. I don’t have any qualms about the work I’ve already put out into the world (they’re my babies!), but I have a vision of how I’d like to develop as an artist. I quite like the cartoon style that’s emerged for me over the years, all red noses and front on poses, but I’m on a quest to draw my characters from different angles and add some dimension to my work. I also want to get some more realism into my work again, which might explain why dozens of my recent sketchbook pages are filled with pictures of faces as I try to remember proportions and how to draw eyes.

So this little bloke is a big step in the right direction. Sure, he’s still staring straight at my inner camera, and there’s some stray ink around his nose there, but he’s a little bit more human than my other kids and I’m starting to remember some of the more illustrative techniques I used to use years ago. He won’t be used for anything that’s published, but there’s enough that I can see inside this drawing that reminds me that I can do this, even if I have a lot to learn. If I’m quiet around here over the next few months it’s because I’m going back to basics, learning how to be an artist again. I’ve pulled out all of my old books on figure drawing, but I’m also keen to learn from some of the Manga techniques – not because I have any great desire to draw a Manga comic, but I have some ideas for characters that I think would look good in that style. My new business plan is no business plan at all at the moment. I’m convinced that the path of improvement is the right path for me, and I’m looking forward to creating some new work that doesn’t necessarily have to be sold.

Let the games begin.